Valeska Suratt was born in Terre Haute, Indiana. She became known as “The Vampire Woman” on the silent screen and appeared in vaudeville with Billy Gould. She began acting on film after being noticed by producer Edward Edelston. The “flapper age” put an end to her obsolete vampy style resulting in her early retirement from the stage. In this full-length portrait, Suratt turns her back to the camera with arms constrained to her side by linked chains. She looks over her shoulder with a slight distressed expression. The entire scene fulfills a sense of macabre with the heightened use of shadow, dark back drops, a skull prop, and a towering candle. Suratt’s face is wrapped in a band of black lace that singles out her facial features from the rest of her body. The dark garment has a sheer back, with a lace pattern, covering her shoulders and mid-back. The bottom left of the print contains the signature “HIXON CONNELLY K.C. ©’ 16”.